Books published by SIL International

A phonological study of the four Gwari lects (Nigeria): Northern and Southern Gbagyi, and Northern and Southern Gbari. By making an analysis of each dialect, the author seeks greater understanding of the phonology of Gwari as a whole. Since palatalization, labialization, and nasalization are characteristic of Gwari, particular attention is given to these processes. Traditional segmental phonology is the theoretical framework of this study.

Abaza, a little-documented Northwest Caucasian language, exhibits an extensive agreement system. This book, the result of field work carried out by Brian O''Herin, is both descriptive and analytical. As a descriptive work, it provides thorough coverage of a significant subsystem of Abaza grammar--the agreement system. Abaza exhibits morphological agreement between a noun and its possessor, between a postposition and its object, and between a verb and virtually all verbal arguments, resulting in multiple agreement relationships. As an analytical work, Case and Agreement in Abaza provides a unified analysis of the agreement system within the theory of Principles and Parameters, demonstrating how a variety of structures (causative, applicative, inverted, etc.) can be accounted for within a single simple analysis. O''Herin''s work is valuable for those interested in descriptions of languages of the Caucasus, as well as for syntacticians, particularly those interested in agreement systems and ergativity.

The purpose of this textbook is to introduce Bible students and translators to the basic compositional structure and literary style of Hebrew poetry, especially the lyric-liturgical poetry found in the Book of Psalms. Wendland follows a "discourse analysis" approach--examining different aspects of the poetic texts as an integrated whole. His primary focus is upon the formal features of the psalms, but elements of content (key terms) and function (psalm types or genres) also receive due consideration. Dr. Wendland teaches at the Lutheran Bible Institute and Seminary in Lusaka, Zambia, and is a United Bible Societies Translation Consultant. He is the author of numerous studies on the Bantu languages of South Central Africa, biblical exegesis, and translation theory.